Week Ending 11/10/24
Date: 2nd Oct 2024 @ 4:18pm
Happy Friday! Just like that another week has flown by and our Reception children have let their imaginations run wild. This week we have started our new Pathways story, The Gingerbread Man. We really got the week off to a flying start with some flour footprints that had been left in the classroom. Throughout the week we have been coming into the classroom with lots of clues left by a certain biscuit! The children have absolutely loved all the things the Gingerbread Man has been getting up to and we can't wait to see what he does next on his adventure. Keep a look out on our Twitter for more updates in the coming weeks!
Polite Request
As in our school policy, please could kindly ask that all emails are sent through SchoolSpider to admin@tarporleyce.cheshire.sch.uk. Thank you.
Dates for the Diary
- Saturday 12th October 10am-2pm - 175th Anniversary. Please come to help celebrate our birthday! More details have been sent via email.
- Tuesday 15th October - Individual and sibling photos. Please come to school in smart uniform including your child's red jumper/cardigan. More details will be sent nearer the time.
- Wednesday 16th October - Flu jabs. Please check your emails to give permission for your child to have the flu jab.
- Week beginning 21st October - Parents Evening (face-to-face appointment). Please ensure you have booked your appointment with me to discuss your child’s first half term in school. Tuesday appointments will be in the classroom and Wednesday appointments will be in the school hall.
Autumn Walk (weather permitting) – Monday 21st October (1:15/1:30pm)
We are planning on going on our annual conker walk to the conker tree on the field adjacent to the school. We do not cross any main roads and use the side path to the left-hand side of the main car park to access the field through the forest. We will be back for normal pick up time but will need a few extra helpers to carry this out.
On the day, your child will need:
- A waterproof coat (labelled)
- Wellies (Labelled)
Cauliflower Cards
A final reminder to complete your cauliflower cards design and return it to school once you have placed your online order, thank you. The deadline is next Friday (18th October). Please can you give this to a member of staff at the door at pick up/drop off.
Little Wandle – Phonics
This week we learnt our final four sounds of this half term, H, B, F and L using the new Little Wandle grapheme cards and phrases. After half term, we will be introducing more sounds with an increase in digraphs. The pace will begin to increase after half term so it is imperative that the children become secure in the sounds they have learnt this half term. We have also learnt the tricky word 'THE'. ‘Tricky words’ are words that cannot easily be decoded (‘sounded out’ and read). These words need to be learnt by heart. Please see the downloadable attachment below to practise the sounds/words we have been learning this week.
Phonics Assessment
Next week we will be completing a short phonics assessment with your child which will consist of recognising the grapheme (letter) we have learnt so far (S,A,T, P, I, N, M, D, G, O, C, K, CK, E, U, R, H, B, F, L) and being able to orally blend and read simple CVC words which contain these sounds. In your child’s reading folder this week, I have placed a helpful sheet of all the sounds we have learnt so far with their correct pronunciation. Please ignore the formation column as we have not starting writing yet.
In your reading record you will find two ticks and an arrow which will be the next step in their learning. You will find your child’s percentage in their reading records; 80% is on track and able to move onto the next set of books. Please keep reading with your child as often as possible to build up fluency and speak to your me if you have concerns about their progress. Please can you ensure you write in your reading record once your child has read to you. This is another form of communication between home and school where you can see how your child is getting on with their reading.
You can also look at the following resources on the Little Wandle website to find out more about phonics: https://www.littlewandlelettersandsounds.org.uk/resources/for-parents/
In Maths, we have been learning how to count accurately using 1:1 correspondence by following Number 5's three rules of counting.
- Say the numbers in the right order.
- Count everything once. (Put them in a line to help with this).
- The last number is how many.
Being able to say one number name for each object you count is an important skill that children often demonstrate with small numbers but not larger ones. For example, can your child count the stairs by saying one number for each step? Or can they do ten jumps and say one number each time they jump? These are simple ways to integrate counting into your everyday life. Can they count a Lego tower accurately? Can they count the peas on their dinner plate? If you see your child counting accurately at home then upload your observation to Tapestry. We love showing you what your child can do at school but we also like to see your child using their learning at home. Think about moments that make you say ‘WOW!’
We have had plenty of opportunities to explore counting of different objects. Some children decided to use their choosing time to count the loose parts in the construction area. We have also been consolidating recognising our numbers 1-5. Counting is such an important skill and by following the three rules you can never go wrong! You may want to practise counting at home and this can be with anything...counting the number of bricks in a Lego tower, counting the number of socks in your drawer or counting the number of steps on your stairs. The opportunities for counting are endless.
On Monday, we performed our song Big, Red Combine Harvester at the Harvest Festival at school. Thank you to everyone who came to watch us! Next up, Nativity!
On Tuesday, we came into the classroom to find some mysterious footprints had been left which led us to a recipe. We talked about the things we might find in a bakery too. We were inspired to draw our own Gingerbread Men. We have a lot of creative minds in EYFS!
On Wednesday, rain stopped play on the balance bikes so we did some throwing and catching skills with Mr Elton in the hall. In the afternoon, Jack told us the story of baby Moses where the children learnt about how God always watches over us and will protect us from harm.
On Thursday, the gingerbread man had left even more footprints! He also left us a video for us to watch where he had stolen our Lego. To get them back we had to create our own traps.
On Friday, we celebrated a belated World Mental Health Day. We thought about the things we can do to relax our brains such as colouring, going on a walk or playing with our friends. We then thought about our character strengths and celebrated these together.
Congratulations to our Star of the Week, Oscar!
Our Mystery Reader was Alex's mum! Thank you for coming to share your story with us!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Miss Selwyn
